Dumbledore's announcement at the feast reignited interest in the dragon badges from the train, bringing Kyle another wave of eager customers the next morning.
"It really works!" a Gryffindor student was saying to his friend in the corridor. "If the headmaster hadn't mentioned the Dementors, I wouldn't have even known they were at the gates..."
"Yeah," his friend agreed. "I barely feel anything, just a slight chill—totally different from the train... and Potter was wearing one too. I saw him with it in the common room."
By the time they reached the Great Hall, the Hufflepuff table was already surrounded, a long line of students stretching all the way to the door, each hoping to buy a badge.
"If I'd known, I would've bought one on the train," a witch near the back of the line complained to her friend. "I was right there, but I didn't think the Dementors would actually come to school."
"Who could've guessed?" her friend sighed in agreement.
At the front of the line, Kyle handed a badge to a Ravenclaw student, while Cedric, stationed beside him, smoothly accepted two Galleons and dropped them into the bag next to him. Kyle stifled a yawn and tapped the table, requesting a glass of lemonade. Despite being woken up early, watching the Galleons practically line up to fill his pockets made it all worthwhile.
"Amazing!" exclaimed a newly-badged student, marveling as he examined it. "It's still warm! These dragons are something else!"
Kyle shook his head subtly. The warmth had nothing to do with the dragons; he'd spent the previous night placing a simple Warming Charm on each badge.
It wasn't complicated alchemy, just a basic charm "pasted" on, similar to the pepper layer on Pepper Imps. He'd even arranged for the badges sold on the train to receive a "free upgrade" as a bit of after-sales service.
The charm wasn't permanent, but it would last long enough to keep up the badge's mystique. Even so, he hadn't finished until 5 a.m.—and by 6 a.m., someone was already knocking on his dormitory door.
Kyle didn't mind too much, given that the knockers came bearing Galleons, though it was tough luck for Mikel and Ryan, who had to rise early for once. By 8 a.m., the last of the 150 badges he'd brought back from Romania had sold out.
"It's really all gone," Kyle announced, holding up the now-empty suitcase after handing out the last badge.
The young witch who had waited patiently in line looked crushed.
"Just a little more patience," Kyle reassured her. "There'll be more soon."
"How soon is 'soon'?" she asked, frowning.
Kyle thought for a moment before answering. "Probably about a month," he said cautiously. Ratton, his owl, had just set off the previous night with a letter for more badges, after a hearty meal of dragon liver and a tonic. But Romania wasn't close, and it also depended on Charlie's availability, so a month was the best guess he could give.
After breakfast, Kyle, in high spirits, was headed to his first Charms class when he heard someone call his name from behind.
"Hermione? What's up?" he asked, glancing around. "Where are Harry and Ron?"
Hermione was rarely seen without them, but today she was alone.
"They went up to the West Tower," Hermione replied. "I wanted to ask you something, so I didn't go with them."
"Something about the badge?" Kyle asked, extending his hand. "No problem, I can add a Warming Charm."
"No, it's not the badge," Hermione shook her head, reaching into her robes. She pulled out a thin, long gold chain with a small hourglass pendant gleaming at the end.
"The Time-Turner?" Kyle raised an eyebrow. "You're taking all the classes too?"
"Yes, that's why Professor McGonagall applied for it," Hermione nodded. "But she warned me there could be risks with using it and suggested I think it over. So, I wanted to ask your advice... you used a Time-Turner last year, didn't you?"
"What makes you think that?" Kyle asked with a hint of a smile.
"I heard you took all the same classes last year," Hermione said, sounding quite certain. "And that time you said you got to the eighth floor through a secret passage—that wasn't true, was it? There had to be two of you at once, one in the Great Hall and one on the eighth floor."
"You're not wrong," Kyle admitted, smiling. "What do you want to know?"
"I'm not sure I want to use it anymore," Hermione admitted, looking down at the Time-Turner in her hand. "Being outside of normal time... is it really as serious as Professor McGonagall made it sound?"
"Serious, but not as dangerous as it sounds," Kyle replied after a moment's thought. "As long as you're only using it at school and not rewinding more than a day, the risks are minimal. Unless, of course, a powerful wizard is specifically targeting you..."
Kyle's tone grew heavy with his last words, giving Hermione pause.
"But that sort of thing is extremely unlikely," he added, his tone returning to normal. "We're just students, and those from the past are unlikely to even know we exist."
"So there's really no problem, then?" Hermione asked, her spirits lifting.
"It's still a small risk," Kyle said cautiously. "It's rare, but not impossible. A 99.9% chance isn't the same as 100%, and that's why Professor McGonagall advised against it. It's safest not to use it."
"But..." Hermione's expression wavered. "I really want to take all the classes."
"You could," Kyle said, shaking his head, "but it's not necessary. Some classes aren't that essential. I dropped Arithmancy and Muggle Studies last year."
"But they're so interesting," Hermione protested.
"Well, that's how you feel now," Kyle replied. "But taking on too much will spread your focus thin. You'll end up knowing a little about everything but nothing in depth."
"How about this..." Kyle checked the time. "There's still a bit before class starts. Go talk to Professor McGonagall and see if she'll let you use the same method I did last year. When two electives clash, just take one. After you've sampled all the classes, then you can decide if you really need the Time-Turner."